by Judy Kentrus
“I wanted to show off the amethyst and diamond earrings you gave me. If this damn console wasn’t in the way, we would be a lot later for this party.”
“Hold that thought for the ride home.” He grinned with a devilish smile.
Twenty minutes later, Preston found one of the last spaces in the large parking lot. The Roadhouse was a local gathering place and offered a country-western theme. Friday and Saturday nights they had guest bands. On the plus side, there was a huge back room the owner rented out for parties and weddings. Guests could enter through an entrance off the parking lot.
“Don’t leave me for a second,” Cindi said, the moment Preston opened the door to a small entrance hall. Three rows of metal coat racks had been set up for guests. Preston elected not to remove his black leather jacket. Cindi never did bring anything other than her cashmere wrap. She was always in too much of a hurry. He made a mental note to keep an extra jacket in his car for his forgetful love.
“Stop looking like a little girl with a case of stage fright. They’re your friends. Smile!”
“Like this?” she said, and made an exaggerated grin.
Before they could open the door to the banquet room, two women rushed out giggling and almost walked into Cindi and Preston.
“You made it!” Florence Knightly greeted, giving Cindi a quick hug.
“Cindi!” Merilee Howard squealed. She’d coated her coal-dark eyes with silver glitter to match her barely there dress. Merilee licked her red-painted lips, as her eyes appreciated this hunky specimen of manhood. “And who is this?”
“Preston Reynolds,” he said.
“Where have you been keeping him, Cindi Pearl?” Merrilee slipped her hand possessively thorough Preston’s arm, making sure her generous cleavage was visible. “I think men in glasses are sexy.”
“When we didn’t hear from you, we got concerned, but it doesn’t matter. You’re here and you brought a date. Fifty-six people responded, so we’re bound to have a good time.” Florence grasped Cindi’s hand and stepped back when Preston opened the door.
Cindi didn’t appreciate being given the bum’s rush, and turned a troubled look at Preston. The female barracuda was clinging to him like barnacles on a ship’s bottom. He shrugged, offered a “whatever” smile, and followed behind.
The social committee had hung a banner from Stevensville High School and added centerpieces of red, black, and gold balloons to the round tables. The DJ took over one corner and set up a wide video screen. Hall & Oates were currently singing “Jingle Bell Rock.”
“We have seats at our table.” Merilee kept a possessive hold on Preston’s arm and guided them to a table bordering the dance floor. “Sorry if this place is so low class, but it was all we could get at the last minute. It’s an open bar and they will be putting out a buffet around nine.”
What a prude, Preston thought, and raised his eyes at her crass remark. He, along with the locals, thought the place was great with its down-home knotty pine walls and well-maintained hardwood floors. He never supported hunting, but the three stuffed deer heads over the massive stone fireplace added to the rustic atmosphere. Years ago, someone had shot a full-size black bear and named him after the twenty-sixth president of the United States. Teddy stood proudly in the corner, sporting a red Santa hat, guarding a huge pine tree decorated with hundreds of colored lights.
All of the attendees were given nametags and the year they graduated, but Florence introduced her husband Bill, and two other couples. Cindi remembered they’d played in the marching band. She tried to relax and have a good time, but wasn’t happy Merrilee purposely sat next to Preston and had moved her chair closer than necessary. When the DJ played “When You Love Someone” by Bryan Adams, the couples got up to dance, leaving Preston and Cindi alone with the flirt.
“Cindi, I have to say, I’ve never seen you looking better. Your makeup is subtle but flattering, and the various shades of blond in your hair are very becoming. Did you color it yourself?”
The demeaning tone in Merilee’s voice grated on Cindi’s nerves and fed her bitchy side. If the black-haired divorcee touched Preston’s arm with her boob one more time, she’d trowel the makeup off the vamp’s face with her nails. Cindi didn’t recall Merrilee having such big breasts.
“As a matter of fact, I did. I tried green highlights, but was told it wasn’t a good color for me. I might try red for the holidays.” When there wasn’t any reaction, Cindi silently decreed Merilee an unofficial blond.
“Where are you living these days?”
Cindi decided to have a little more fun. “In a barn.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely! I pump the water from a well every morning, and the furniture is on loan from the residents in Laurel Heights. The animals live below me. I have a pygmy goat named Donut and a pygmy donkey named Cherry Cheesecake. She has a peg leg. There is also a cow named Pound Cake, and Brownie, her calf.”
“You live in a barn with farm animals and have a crippled pet? That is disgusting! How can you even touch something like that? Do you have to clean up after them?”
“What’s a little cow manure or dodo droppings? I read if you touch enough cow manure, it will make your skin softer. It’s okay, once you get past the smell. Here, want to feel my hand?”
“Ewww”! Merrilee squealed, scrunching up her nose.
“I forgot to mention there are two ducks, Cupcake and Muffin. The birds shit a lot.”
Preston focused his attention on Teddy the bear, needing the distraction to hold back the laugh churning in his body. She was an expert at yanking someone’s chain. He draped his arm around her chair and feathered the bare skin of her shoulder with the tip of his finger. Her skin was always soft, since he was the one who had the pleasure of applying her after-shower body lotion. When she turned her head and winked, he folded his lips. He was grateful when the song ended and the others returned to the table.
Florence took her seat next to Cindi. “I forgot how much I love to dance. With Bill opening a second dental office in Laurel Heights, I barely get to see him. What did we miss?”
“It’s no wonder we didn’t know where to send the invitation,” Merilee began. “Cindi lives in a barn, her furniture was donated by her neighbors, and she uses cow shit to keep her skin soft.”
Florence had just taken a sip of ice water and almost choked. “What! That’s crazy.” She frowned at the innocent look on Cindi’s face. “You’ve got a BS degree from NYU, and I don’t think those earrings and ring are paste.”
“Oh, they’re not. I got them from my sugar daddy.”
Preston lost it and burst out laughing.
Cindi looked at Florence and then Merrilee. “Gotcha! And everyone claimed I couldn’t act. And Merrilee, if you touch my fiancée one more time with your man-made boob, you will need plastic surgery on your face.”
“Fiancée!” Florence leaned closer and gave Cindi a hug. “That is fantastic! When is the wedding?”
“Cindi Pearl, you had me going,” Merrilee admitted, with a disappointed sigh, giving Preston one more appreciative look. “Are you really going to marry her?”
“You bet.” Preston pushed back the sleeve of his leather jacket so he could see the time on his gold watch. “In three hundred thirty hours, she’ll become Mrs. Preston Reynolds.” At that moment, Chicago filled the video screen and started to sing “I Don’t Want to Live Without Your Love.” Preston reached for Cindi’s hand. “I believe this is our dance.”
Preston drew her closer when her arms wrapped around his neck and she rested her cheek against his shoulder. “You deserve an Academy Award, my love.” The silkiness of the dress brushed against his trousers, and he imagined it was her black silky thigh-highs. Then he remembered her only underwear was a red thong. He wondered how much longer they would have to stay.
“In school she would go after anything in trousers, but when it came to putting out, she was all talk.” Cindi placed a soft kiss on his neck, just above his sweater.
“She went too far, and I needed to make her look like a ditzy blond.” Cindi raised her head from his shoulder and asked, “You have an actual countdown in hours till we get married?”
Before he could answer, he felt a tap on his shoulder and they stopped dancing. The surrounding couples had also stopped, and were staring at Preston and Cindi.
A baritone voice stated, “I believe you are dancing with my girl.”
Chapter 3
If anyone listened close enough, the only sound was the whistling coming through the air vents from the old heating system. The alumni knew the man who commanded attention the moment he walked into a room, either by association, good and bad, or reputation. In high school, he was considered part of the in crowd, and his ego thrived when people made a fuss over him. Little did they know he called them fools behind their backs. Women were plentiful and available. He could have, and had, anyone, but a few had smirked at his advance and called his bluff. He’d admired their spunk, and some he considered friends, but there was always the one that got away. From what he’d observed when he crossed the floor in her direction, his errant moth had turned into a monarch butterfly.
Cindi stiffened at the sound of a voice she remembered all too well, but it had deepened to a more authoritative tone. Instinct had her clinging tighter to her love. Preston wasn’t oblivious to the male threat standing at his back. The fingers of the hand pressed against her back had curled into a fist, and his breathing increased. That was the scary part. She’d seen very little of the man with nerves of steel that was an explosives expert and used cunning and patience to defuse an IED. He was no longer in the desert from hell, but became the slow-burning fuse. Cindi could read his mind.
He wanted to punch the deadbeat in the mouth for the pain and humiliation he’d inflicted upon the woman he loved. “Protect the female” was inbred in the male species, and he was her protector. But in this explosive situation, common sense was needed. Causing a scene or having Preston carted off to jail for assault was the last thing they needed.
It would be up to her to defuse the situation. She’d been made the fool once by Thomas Leland and his family, but never again. She also had the man who loved her by her side. She gathered her courage and slowly withdrew her arms from around Preston’s neck.
Thom Leland had matured, but still had the look of a Greek god. A professional had to be responsible for his perfectly styled golden blond curls that brushed the back of his neck. His face appeared newly tanned, making his cheekbones sharper and more pronounced. His open black sports coat revealed a wine-red sweater that defined his athletic build. The gold ball earring he always wore in his left ear had been replaced by a good-size diamond. Cindi leaned into Preston for support and pasted a phony smile on her face.
“You gave up that privilege fifteen years ago. How are you, Thom? Woops, forgot. I’m supposed to refer to you as Thomas, according to your dear old momma. Is she still riding a broom and controlling your life?”
The corner of his mouth lifted and merriment twinkled in his very blue eyes. “I don’t remember you being so feisty, Cindi Pearl.”
“But I remember you being an asshole.”
Gasps filled her ears. She took hold of Preston’s hand and deposited a kiss in the palm before linking their fingers. “Don’t get physical. I’ve got this,” she whispered, before making introductions. “Darling, I’d like you to meet Thomas Leland. I told you about him and his dear, sweet momma.”
The palm of Preston’s hand felt warm from her kiss. The special gesture between them spoke volumes. Life with Cindi would never be boring. She constantly surprised him, never knowing what she was thinking or what wisdom would come out of her lovely mouth. He preferred to kick this guy’s ass. It would definitely wipe the smug grin off his face, but something else was bothering Preston. The moment Cindi said Thom’s name, warning bells clamored in Preston’s head. The name was familiar, but this wasn’t the time to play a memory retrieval game. For now, he’d hold back and act the gentlemen. He held out a hand. “Preston Reynolds.”
“Thomas Leland. Our girl has gotten quite beautiful and spunky.”
Strike one, Preston silently noted, and lifted her left hand. “Correction: my girl.”
Thom had never considered an engagement ring an obstacle if he wanted something. “Congratulations. When is the wedding?”
Preston lifted his arm to check his watch. “Three hundred twenty-nine hours.”
When the DJ started another song, the guests, who’d appeared mesmerized, resumed dancing. Florence braved the three combatants and suggested they sit down. Chairs had opened at their table. The other two couples moved to join people they knew from marching band.
Preston made sure he was the one who pulled out the chair at the table for Cindi to sit down. His anger spiked when Leland asked Florence to shift over one seat. He wanted to sit next to Cindi. Strike two.
“Let’s have a drink for old time’s sake,” Thom suggested, once everyone was seated.
“That’s a great idea, but let’s do it right. I’ll see if this hick bar has champagne,” Merilee said.
“I’ll go with you,” Florence eagerly volunteered before giving her husband a pleading look. The tension at the table could be compared to a ticking time bomb. “Darling, why don’t you come with us? You’re more familiar with this sort of thing.”
“So tell me, Cindi, what became of the girl I left behind?” Thom asked.
“You mean dumped. I went to New York, graduated from NYU, and work for one of the most prestigious security companies in the country. Preston works for Adams Security and Investigations also.”
Thom draped an arm around Cindi’s chair and smiled at Preston. “Does our girl still live by her personal code—do a good deed for a friend in need? In high school, she spent quite a lot of time volunteering at that geriatric center.”
Preston didn’t reply at first. His eyes were shooting daggers at Leland’s arm. Strike three. He kept his voice low, but the menacing tone was blatantly obvious. “If you want to keep that hand, I’d move it, now.”
“Sorry. I forgot for a moment, but she was mine before you came into the picture.” Thom had come to the party for a specific purpose, and wondered how far he should push to break up this engagement. He slowly lowered his arm and winked at Cindi. Damn, she even smelled sexy. “What was the name of that place?”
Cindi clenched her hands in her lap and felt suffocated by the abundance of male hormones on either side of her body. She couldn’t care less about Leland, but Preston was her main concern. She moved a hand to the hard thigh pressed against her leg and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“Spring Meadow Rehabilitation and Assisted Living Facility. It’s a fantastic place.” Cindi gave him a smug smile. “You should consider it for future needs.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Where was this sassy Cindi when they were in high school? She’d become an expert at one-liners. He wasn’t defeated in the least. The game had just become more challenging.
“Preston, does our girl make you sit through romantic movies? When we were going together, her favorite movie was A Walk to Remember. I think we watched it a dozen times and she cried every time. She wasn’t sad when she ate her favorite butter pecan ice cream.”
“I’ve recently introduced Preston to the Hallmark Channel, but we rarely see the end of a movie, not when I have the perfect man lying next to me.” So what was a little white lie? “I’ve changed my taste in men for the better, and ice cream. My new favorite is cotton candy.”
Unless he was baiting them, the conversation was all one-sided. As a lawyer, Thom could draw out testimony and get people to say things they never intended. He turned his attention to Preston.
“And what is it you do?”
Preston really disliked this guy, and gave Leland a direct stare. “I’m a forensic accountant.” He pointedly added, “I go after people who make their money dishonestly.”
“Have you always worked for them?”
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“No, I worked for Marsden Consulting before moving to Adams Security. Cindi and I worked together in New York.” He lifted her hand and placed a lingering kiss on the back of her wrist. “That’s where we fell in love.”
“Speaking of professions, did you follow in your father’s footsteps?” Cindi wondered when the others were going to get back with the champagne. She’d never been in the position of referee between two sparring males, even if one was her fiancée. Once they made their reunion toast, an excruciating headache was going to take root in her head.
The success Thom had achieved over the years brought on a preening smile. “I’m senior partner in a very prestigious law firm, and we have three locations.”
Cindi caught the way he’d thrust out his chin, fed by his ever-present overinflated ego, but she was about to throw dirt on the smug grin. “You mean like those cheesy law firms you see on television with twenty names, claiming you can get your clients lots of money by bilking insurance companies?”
“No.” He laughed. “We are legitimate. It’s only three names. Leland, Roberts, and Harrison.” Cindi was definitely not the sweet, trusting, gullible girl he knew in high school. She’d turned into a hot, feisty beauty. He couldn’t wait to sample what he never got fifteen years ago.
The DJ chose that moment to stop the music, and asked for everyone’s attention. Officer Lynch, a member of the Laurel Heights Police Department, was standing next to the DJ.
“Sorry to interrupt your evening, folks, but we’ve had a slight incident in the parking lot. A customer reported seeing an old pick-up truck hit three cars. The vehicles sustained minor damage and we’ve notified two owners. The third vehicle belongs to Preston Reynolds.”
“How bad?” Preston asked, standing up and moving away from the table to approach the officer.
“They busted a headlight on your Aston Martin. The car is drivable. I’ll need to see your registration and insurance card. It will only take a few minutes.”
Preston walked back to Cindi. “Let me take care of this. I’ll be right back.” He put a hand under her chin and leaned down to give her a kiss that announced, “She is mine.”